In Your Arms I Feel at Home
by hoddypeak
Summary: CONTAINS HTTYD 3 SPOILERS! Hiccstrid wedding one shot from Astrid's POV (with some scenes that weren't in the movie).


I hope you like it! I would be really glad to hear your feedback :)

* * *

Astrid sat by the unlit fireplace and ran her fingers through her hair absent-mindedly. It was unusual for her to have her hair fall so freely on her shoulders, and it felt strange to not feel the tiniest of breezes brush against her neck.

The fireplace looked abandoned and when Astrid recalled the warmth it always filled the room with, she felt a certain coldness rush through her body as if somebody had just extinguished the fire. Even though the flames weren't there to grant light to the room, it wasn't dark; the windows were open and the snow outside reflected the bright winter sky, sending dozens of rays of light into the hut. It was nearing midday on top of that.

Midday. That simple word somehow meant so much to Astrid Hofferson. At midday she would be standing outside in front of all Berkians, looking into those green eyes that held so much warmth in them that it would be enough to keep Astrid warm until the next Summer. At midday she would be married to Hiccup, the love of her life. At midday she would start a whole new chapter of her life, and she couldn't be happier and more excited about that.

Astrid startled a bit when she heard a knock. She turned her head towards the sound and she saw Valka, Hiccup's mother, standing by the front door. It had been ajar, but Valka had probably thought it polite to announce her appearance before fully entering the hut. The blonde girl adjusted her position slightly on the stool she was sitting on and gestured wordlessly to invite her soon to be mother-in-law inside.

"How are you feeling?" Valka asked in a soft voice and smiled down at Astrid. She walked further into the room and grabbed another stool by the table behind Astrid's back and placed it next to the fireplace.

They exchanged a brief look before Astrid spoke: "I'm not sure, it's a mixture of a bit of everything. I know I am ready, I mean, this is what I've been wanting for ages now, but I can't help feeling a little nervous about it all."

"It's totally normal, don't you worry about that," Valka responded and another smile spread across her face, but this time it was reassuring and it made Astrid feel a little bit more at ease inside. "It is a huge step you both are about to take today, and it would be strange if you didn't feel nervous about it. I've been there too, and I can still recall how anxious I was, but all of that was gone when I was standing next to Stoick. At that moment there was only me and him and nothing else outside of that little bubble mattered to us. I was filled with such certainty and love that I couldn't put into words even if I tried."

Valka closed her eyes, Astrid assumed it was because her little speech brought her back some fond memories of the day she was married to Stoick the Vast. Astrid smiled warmly at the woman next to her, and when she finally opened her eyes, the blonde girl could see some unshed tears in the corners of Valka's eyes.

Suddenly she seemed to remember something as her face lit up. She raised her left hand that was holding a crown made of white flowers. Astrid couldn't believe how she hadn't noticed it before that moment. "The reason I came here was to bring you this."

Valka stretched her arm a little to give Astrid the flower crown and she took it in her hand and stared at it in adoration. It was so beautiful and it would match her wedding dress perfectly. "It's…gorgeous. Thank you so much, Valka," Astrid spoke and raised her head to show the woman just how much she appreciated the gift.

"May I put it on you?" Valka asked. There was a hint of excitement in her eyes and voice, which made Astrid chuckle fondly at her. She nodded her head and gave the crown back to Valka who gently took it from her. The woman stood up from the stool and walked in front of Astrid, and when she placed the flower crown on the girl's head, her face was concentrated as if she had a very specific image of how it was supposed to look on Astrid in her mind.

When it was on Astrid's head, Valka let out a gasp and put her hands in front of her mouth. "It looks perfect! It will match the crown Hiccup will be wearing. Oh, you will be the most beautiful couple Berk has ever seen!"

There were now tears on Valka's cheeks, but it was evident that they were tears of happiness. Before Astrid could say anything, she had been pulled into a tight hug. She also wrapped her hands around Valka and they stayed like that for a couple of seconds before Valka broke the hug and sighed happily.

"Well, I guess I will go on with the preparations. Don't hesitate to come to me if you need any help with putting the dress on."

"I'm sure I will manage, thank you, Valka," Astrid said and the corners of her mouth lifted up slightly. "See you in an hour."

* * *

The moment was here. It was almost midday, and Astrid had her wedding dress on. It wasn't embellished with complicated patterns, but it was still beautiful and perfect in her opinion. It was white as snow, but there was a grey strip of fabric that went from the middle of her chest down to the hem of the dress. She also had a metallic belt around her waist and the cloak of white fur was attached to her dress with brooches that had Stormfly carved into them. Seeing the brooches filled Astrid's heart with happiness even though there hadn't been a day she hadn't missed her lovely dragon since they had to separate. Having her carved into a piece of her wedding dress made it feel as though Stormfly was here with her, and that was enough for Astrid; she knew her dragon was much safer now in the Hidden World.

Astrid could already hear the sounds of the crowd as she approached the wedding venue with her father. Even though it was mid-winter, it wasn't that cold. She could feel the frost biting her cheeks, but it was bearable. The sound of the snow under their feet felt comforting and familiar at the same time, and for a moment she wondered if there was anything about this day that wasn't _perfect_.

She was still a little nervous, but excitement and joy were slowly beginning to replace that. Astrid couldn't stop smiling to herself, and when she glanced up at her father, she was met by a face that very much reflected her own. Something was bubbling up inside her and it made her smile become even wider.

"Dad," she said when they were closer to the wedding venue but still far enough for the others to not see them unless they were specially looking for them.

"What is it, Astrid?" he asked and looked down at her daughter.

"Don't let me fall," she said in almost a whisper. She said it half jokingly, half seriously; she had a feeling she would be too focused on her surroundings to pay attention to where she was putting her feet.

Her father just let out a fond chuckle at that and tightened the grip he had on his daughter's arm. "I would never."

When they were finally at the wedding venue, it became silent. Everyone had noticed them and there were at least a hundred pairs of eyes on them. Astrid felt more nervous by the second, but she calmed herself down by taking a couple deep breaths and giving herself a mental pat on the shoulder. She could do this.

"Ready?" her father asked.

Astrid only nodded, her eyes were now fixed on the man that was standing 30 metres from her. Even from a distance, Astrid could tell that Hiccup looked beautiful in his wedding costume. He was staring at her too – his entire face was lit up, it was like he was the light resource for the sun.

As she walked slowly towards her soon-to-be husband, her mind went through all those memories they had shared together so far. The short fragments flashed through her mind's eyes; her first time flying on a dragon, their first kiss, all the adventures they went on with the gang, all those times they defeated their enemy. It had only been a few short years, but it felt as though she had already experienced a lifetime with Hiccup. She loved that dork with all her heart and she couldn't wait for the moment she could call herself his wife.

She was now next to Hiccup and when she glanced at him, she couldn't believe her eyes. If he had been beautiful from a distance, it was nothing compared to how he looked up close. Astrid tried to find a word that would describe just how gorgeous her man was, but she realised that there wasn't a single word that could've gone far enough to describe him. That lovely smile that complimented his features was so addicting and Astrid couldn't stop herself from smiling when she saw it. How had she gotten so lucky to have him?

Hiccup reached out both of his arms for Astrid to grab them, and that made her give them a quick glance before looking back at Hiccup's face and smiling fondly at him. Every inch of Hiccup's features radiated love and adoration towards the girl in front of him. Astrid took his hands and nodded reassuringly which made Hiccup's smile wider and eyes softer. Gods, he looked so perfect. They looked at each other for a brief moment, just adoring the view before themselves, until that moment was broken by Gothi who was placing a beautiful, white-and-gold strip of fabric on their intertwined hands. They both looked at Gothi as she rolled the fabric around their hands once, and somewhere near them Astrid could hear Gobber sniff loudly.

Gothi touched the fabric with her staff once, and Astrid could feel herself burst from happiness. It was official now – Hiccup and she were husband and wife. Wasting no time, they closed the distance between them and kissed each other passionately. They both closed their eyes, and Astrid felt Hiccup's hand cup one of her cheeks. She smiled into the kiss; she had never been this happy. Standing there in front of all Berkians, kissing her husband, it all felt somehow surreal but still so right.

"To the Chief and Chieftess!" she heard Gobber shout next to them. After that, there was an uproar from the crowd as they cheered for the new leader couple of Berk. Everyone seemed so happy, and Astrid definitely shared the crowd's feelings.

When they finally broke the kiss and turned around to face their people that were still cheering for them, some were even jumping on their spot in excitement. Astrid looked up at her husband who did the same and they shared a loving look. This was the beginning of a new chapter in her life, and she couldn't think of anybody else she wanted to share it more with than her one and only Hiccup Haddock.


End file.
